On Sunday I drove for an hour and a half in the pouring rain, up a winding mountain road, to attend my first wellness retreat.
Was it worth it? You betcha!
Believe it or not, I didn’t take any photos or post on social media; I just wanted to embrace the experience. (Okay, I will confess I took a couple of selfies with the resident dog, but the pics were so rubbish I couldn’t use them).
It is hard to put into words, exactly *what* I gleaned from Wellness in the Wilderness. Some things are intangible but that doesn’t make the effect any less real.
Although there was a program, it was actually a very fluid day, facilitated by a psychologist, a yoga instructor, and a nutritionist. We were a small group, all women, barring one of the facilitators; there were smiles, laughter and tears, as we shared a very special day together.
There was much that I found valuable – starting from the check-in session, where we each gave a snapshot of what had brought us to the retreat. Seriously, how often do we stop and work out exactly where we are at, let alone verbalise it to others?
The chi gong and yoga sessions really helped to calm me, and truly relax. We stretched. We breathed deeply. We had a conversation with any strong emotions that we were feeling. We heard about the practice of mindfulness. We learned from our facilitators, and from each other.
Here are just some of the words of wisdom that really resonated with me, from the day:
- What am I willing to let go of, to get what I really want?
- What is the worst thing that can happen (in a particular situation)?
- Out of patience comes kindness … kindness shouldn’t be something we “try” to do … it can become as natural as breathing.
- Getting published will not heal your life, but writing everyday will (even if it’s just a sentence a day)!
- Take life one breath at a time.
- and perhaps my favourite: Rest brings grace.
We talked about the grip that sugar has on our society and our lives (hi, my name’s Janet and I’m a sugar addict), and sampled some delectable treats to prove that good food can taste great: date and walnut muffins; vegetable sticks with the best hommus I have ever tasted; wraps; protein balls; fresh fruit; herbal teas.
It was a brilliant experience but I must confess – by the end of the day my body was screaming for a cup of tea (strong, white, one sugar)!
Have you ever been on a wellness retreat? What did you glean from it?